Prior art armor has utilized plate-like ceramic tiles embedded in a matrix to provide protection against incoming projectiles. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,324,768 Eichelberger; 3,431,818 King; 3,444,033 King; 3,509,833 Cook; 3,516,898 Cook; 3,616,115 Klimmek; 3,700,534 Cook; 3,801,416 Gulbierz; and 3,924,038 McArdle et al. Such ceramic armor in the past has been relatively expensive to manufacture due to the difficulty and resultant cost involved in embedding the ceramic tiles within the matrix spaced from each other so as to avoid shock propagation from one tile to the next when subjected to a projectile impacting the armor.
Other prior art armor noted by the investigation conducted in connection with the present invention is disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,454,947 Wesch et al; 3,705,558 McDougal et al; 3,722,355 King; 3,702,593 Fine; 3,859,892 Coes; 4,179,979 Cook et al; and 4,665,794 Gerber et al.
Other non-armor prior art noted during the investigation conducted in connection with the present invention includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,232,017 Prusinski et al and 4,049,864 Hoover et al.